Prepping For Alaska!

[Frank Lee]

Don't have to go to AK from MN to start a car at -40F.

[t vago]

Originally Posted by aktacoma

I am from fairbanks and I actually found this thread because im wondering how many people do we have from AK on the site?? But I second the block heater and oil pan heater and tranny heater although I have never lived in a warmer climate so we use autostarts and dont call me a ***** cat because you can come start my car at -40...

I grew up in Anchorage, and attended college at UAF. As far as I can recall, we winterized our cars more-or-less the same way, for either place. Block heaters were the norm, as was an oil pan heater, and a transmission pan heater. During the winter, I placed cardboard in front of the radiator to cover 80% of the area. I also mixed and used 60/40 coolant (50/50 being what is "recommended"). I remember wandering around a hardware store in Fairbanks one day in '96, finding a battery blanket heater, and thinking how awesome that find was. Of course, I bought and installed it. We used a good set of studded snow tires (studless winter tires being non-existent back then).

[aktacoma]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Don't have to go to AK from MN to start a car at -40F.

true, but how many weeks a year does it get that cold down there?

[Frank Lee]

Sometimes it seems like about six months.

Feb 1996: -60F

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/01/2...-in-minnesota/

I didn't find where they list low temps as in x number of days below y; but it gets damn long.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by t vago

I grew up in Anchorage, and attended college at UAF. As far as I can recall, we winterized our cars more-or-less the same way, for either place. Block heaters were the norm, as was an oil pan heater, and a transmission pan heater. During the winter, I placed cardboard in front of the radiator to cover 80% of the area. I also mixed and used 60/40 coolant (50/50 being what is "recommended"). I remember wandering around a hardware store in Fairbanks one day in '96, finding a battery blanket heater, and thinking how awesome that find was. Of course, I bought and installed it. We used a good set of studded snow tires (studless winter tires being non-existent back then).

Heh, we probably bumped into each other at one point then. I grew up in Wasilla and went to UAF from 1995-1999.

Never did use a remote start, even at -40°.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Sometimes it seems like about six months.

Feb 1996: -60F

New record cold temperatures in Minnesota | Watts Up With That?

I didn't find where they list low temps as in x number of days below y; but it gets damn long.

And I suppose you were in Tower, MN that day?

I've personally experienced -60°F (Tok, Alaska) and it's rather unpleasant. Actually, my stint in Fairbanks where -40°F and colder temps are a regular occurrence enticed me to move south. No extreme weather where I'm at now.

Just 37 different kinds of rain.

[Frank Lee]

No, I wasn't. I'm about 200 miles from Tower and slightly further North- pretty much the same ****.

Regardless, I know what -40F is and I know what months and months of less than -20F are. Guess what- I don't own anything with a remote starter.

[aktacoma]

Well congrats my man but on my diesel I'm gonna wait till it's nice and warm to run it in cold temps

PS it came with one.. Haha

[t vago]

Originally Posted by darcane

Heh, we probably bumped into each other at one point then. I grew up in Wasilla and went to UAF from 1995-1999.

Kewl! I also went from 1995 to 1999. I was mostly a fixture at Duckering. Where were you at?

Originally Posted by darcane

Never did use a remote start, even at -40°.

Never really saw the point, myself.

I did once make the mistake of not checking that my car was plugged in, before going to bed. The next morning, we had a cold snap where temperatures dropped to -60 F, and my car turned over e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y...

[Frank Lee]

I was in Anchorage in '86... but just for the summer.

Here's my eco-winter-commuter car: